A low score is not a verdict. It is a snapshot, and most snapshots can be changed faster than people expect. Dave has built written credit action plans for hundreds of borrowers, using the same simulators lenders use, and it costs you nothing. Do not walk away from a home because of a number you have not had a professional look at.
One Timberline client came in with a mortgage credit score of 580 and a plan from Dave. A month later the same report scored 720, enough to change the program, the pricing, and the mortgage insurance. Not everyone can move that far that fast; the result depends on what is actually on the report. But it is the reason we never let a score end the conversation. It is at least worth a free look.
Where the report started: high card balances, a couple of old collections, and a score that put most programs out of reach.
Where it landed about a month later, after paying specific balances to specific levels, one dispute, and a rapid rescore through the lender.
What the client paid for the plan. Credit guidance is part of how we originate loans, not a separate service, and there is never a fee for it.
Mortgage lenders use a tri-merge report and specific scoring models. The number in your banking app is often very different. We start from the score that will actually decide your loan.
Lender-grade credit simulators show what happens to your score if you pay a balance to a specific level, pay off a collection, remove an error, or add an account. We test the moves before you make them.
Which accounts to pay, to what balance, in what order, and by when. Which items to dispute and how. What to leave alone, because some "fixes" lower scores. A target score and a target date.
When the moves are made, we order a rapid rescore through the lender so the bureaus reflect the changes in days instead of a month or more. Then we price the loan on the new score.
The share of each card's limit you are using is the fastest lever there is. Paying balances down to a specific level before the statement date, on the right cards, can move a score within one reporting cycle. The plan tells you which cards and how far.
Accounts that are not yours, paid items still showing a balance, a late payment that was not late. Errors are common and fixable, but a dispute left open at the wrong time can block an automated approval. Timing matters.
Paying a collection does not always raise a score, and paying the wrong one first can waste money. Newer scoring treats medical debt differently. The simulator tells us which to pay, which to settle, and which to leave.
Nothing repairs a recent late payment except time and a clean streak. We set up the file so every payment from here lands on time, and we tell you honestly when the answer is "wait three more months."
Being added to a family member's long-standing, low-balance card can help a thin file. It is not a cure-all, and some lenders discount it. We use it when the simulator says it will matter.
Do not close old cards. Do not open new ones. Do not pay a "credit repair" company to send template disputes. Do not co-sign. Do not move money you cannot document. Most of the damage we see in credit files is self-inflicted by well-meaning fixes.
Improving the score and getting a loan are not always sequential. FHA accepts lower scores than conventional loans. Several non-QM programs accept lower still, and lend within a year of a bankruptcy or foreclosure. Sometimes the right plan is to close now on the program you qualify for today and refinance when the score catches up. We lay out both paths and the cost of each.
No. The consultation, the simulator runs, and the written plan are free, whether or not you end up with a loan through Timberline. We are a mortgage broker, not a credit repair company, and we do not charge for credit guidance.
A mortgage inquiry has a small, temporary effect, and multiple mortgage pulls within a short shopping window count as one. We will not pull anything until you tell us to.
Utilization fixes can show within one statement cycle, and a rapid rescore takes days. Disputes take longer. Recent late payments need months of clean history. The plan comes with an honest timeline for your report.
No, and anyone who does is selling something. Simulators are accurate about direction and usually close on magnitude, but the bureaus and the scoring models have the final say. What we guarantee is a plan built on real data and a straight answer about what is realistic.
Then the plan matters more, not less. The biggest jumps we see come from the lowest starting points, because they usually have the most fixable items. Bring it to us.
It is the ideal time. A year is enough to fix almost anything, and starting early means you shop with the best pricing tier instead of the one you have today.
Dave Glotfelty, Chief Lending Officer · NMLS #857935 · Request a free credit consultation
Credit guidance from Timberline Lending is provided at no charge as part of the mortgage origination process. Timberline Lending LLC is not a credit repair organization and does not charge fees for credit advice. Results vary based on the contents of your credit report and the actions you take; the example above is one client's outcome and is not a guarantee of any result. All loans subject to credit approval, underwriting, and program guidelines. Not all applicants will qualify. Timberline Lending LLC · NMLS #2528109 · Dave Glotfelty, NMLS #857935 · 303-669-2102 · Equal Housing Lender.
Request a free credit consultation, or start a rate quote and we will look at the credit as part of it. No cost, no obligation.
